Ghosts of the Past
by Miss Valentine
Summary: Aragorn is shocked when a young woman is Washed up on the shores of the Anduin who bears the same appearance of his dead mother. Is this Gilraen's second chance at life?
1. Ghosts of the Past

GHOSTS OF THE PAST  
  
DISCLAIMER: I own no part of LOTR.  
  
NOTE: This is a teaser chapter, just to get the story into the swing of things, which explains why it's so short.  
  
"Lord Faramir!" "What is it?" he asked hurriedly slowing his horse to see what was being called to his attention. And he saw it quickly enough. Along the misty banks of the Anduin where the company of Ithilien had been riding was the pale form of a noblewoman in the icy water. He dismounted his horse quickly, two of his men were carrying her limp body from the water. "Is she alive?"  
  
"Barely my lord. She's hardly breathing." Faramir nodded.  
  
"She's a noblewoman, look at her garb, do any of you know her? For I do not." The men shook their heads.  
  
"Perhaps she's a thief sir!" called another. "Maybe she stole the clothes."  
  
"Check her hands" ordered Faramir. "If she did indeed steal them her hands would be hard."  
  
"Nothing sir, soft and unblemished, her nails aren't broken." Faramir sighed and went to inspect the girl himself. He looked over her, her ashen- blonde hair which clung wet to her face. His attention was drawn to the chain which fell around her neck, "This... This is elvish, It reads Estel which is Hope. He looked then at the finely crafted stitching upon her blue silk dress, and the stitching is of elvish fashion, yet this girl is not an elf." He pondered to himself for a while. "Anyhow, she must get to the houses of healing in Minas Tirith, take her there and alert the King to what we found. Three guards wrapped her body in their cloaks and propped the girl upon a horse and rode at fast pace towards Minas Tirith in the West.  
  
"It cannot be!" said Aragorn exasperated, looking over the body of the girl in the houses of healing. "She looks like, my mother. And she has the heirlooms of her house, but surely it cannot be Gilraen." He paused and took the girl's hand, it was cold. He looked at her soft face and her light hair. "Gilraen" he said.  
  
A hand reached for his shoulder, The Queen Arwen kneeled beside her husband and stroked the girl's face. "She bears an extraordinary likeness to her. How can it be?"  
  
Aragorn Sighed. "I do not know." He then turned to the healers who stood in the doorway. "Where did she come from? Has she any family?"  
  
The healer shook his head. "He found her on the bank of the Anduin, in Osgiliath. It was Lord Faramir who sent her here. She has been unconscious since yesterday. No one has ever seen her before, no one even knows her name. She is most certainly alone."  
  
Aragorn frowned, as the healer began to speak once again. "Though there is something most particular, she wears the dress of a noblewoman." He took from upon a chair her garments which she was wearing when she was found, a long gown fashioned from dark blue silk and small fur slippers. "If she were alone, would she have such a garment?"  
  
Arwen's eyes widened, "I do recall Gilraen wearing something similar, but that was years ago, this girl cannot be more than seventeen."  
  
Aragorn was taken over by a feeling of unrest. "Than we must do what we can for her. I can't deny that she is not like Gilraen. I cannot let this girl go out into the world with no home." And with that he turned and left.  
  
"Why has she come back to haunt me?" he asked Arwen later that night.  
  
"Consider it a second chance, do you remember what she said all those years ago, Onen I-Estel Edain, ú-chebin estel anim, This may be her new hope, the hope which she gave to the Dúnadain has now granted her a new grace." Arwen replied, and this made sense to Aragorn who thought long and hard through the night until early before the dawn had risen, message came to him that the unknown girl had awaken. Without waking Arwen he accompanied the messenger to the Houses of Healing.  
  
"My lord!" cried the healer, "It's a miracle, the girl has woken, we did not think that she ever would." 


	2. A new day singnals a new beginning

Disclaimer: I don't own it!  
  
Rated R for later chapters for sexual references and drug use.  
  
A new day signals a new beginning.  
  
Aragorn's heart leapt, "Who is she? Has she said anything?"  
  
"No My Lord, she doesn't know her name or where she came from, she doesn't even remember washing up in Osgiliath." Replied the healer, "You may see her." Aragorn nodded and made his way to the room in which the girl was being kept. It was dark except for the presence of the flickering of the light issued from the candles which partially lit the room. She turned her head to see him as he stood in the doorway. Immediately he froze, the girl was in the very image of his mother, and now that he saw the light reflect in her grey-green eyes he knew that he recognised her. Aragorn could not be sure whether she knew him.  
  
"Good evening" he said, the girl nodded her head. He went for a seat. "Do you know who I am?"  
  
She hesitated before shaking her head.  
  
Aragorn's heart sank, but he smiled. "Don't be sorry. My name is Aragorn, I am King Elessar or Gondor." There was silence between them for a while before she spoke.  
  
"How did I get here? No one will speak to me."  
  
"You were found washed up on the banks of the river Anduin and were brought here by Prince Faramir, we aren't sure where you came from or who you are. Do you have a name?" Spoke Aragorn.  
  
"Not that I can recall my lord." She said sadly.  
  
"I want to help you." started Aragorn seriously, "You remind me of someone who was dear to me many years ago." He was almost overcome with emotion, seeing the girl in the image of the one who bore him. He thought long about his next proposition. "I want you to consider this. Now that I have seen you, I cannot let you walk away from us. I want you to consider residing with my wife and I."  
  
The girl gasped her sad eyes forlorn, "I couldn't! It would not feel right, I couldn't take advantage of your hospitality like that."  
  
"When the king requests, you don't say no." he smiled. "Trust me; it would not be taking advantage." Aragorn laughed and looked at her with wonder, and knew that somehow, Gilraen had returned to him. He threw his hands in the air. "You will become my family, however, You will receive the title of Fairess, daughter of Gondor, for it was here that you were washed upon. And I will name you Gilraen."  
  
The girl was still seated on the bed, looked out the window and nodded.  
  
"And I shall name you Vása, which in the elven tongue means sun." Arwen came into the room, "I am Arwen Undomiel, it's a new day for you Gilraen, Fairess." She touched the girl's cold cheek and smiled. "Mae Govannen, It is a new day."  
  
And so became the first daughter of Gondor. The King's like-daughter the new Gilraen The fair flourished in her new environment, she was smart and her thirst for knowledge seemed unquenchable. Gilraen was forever taking lessons and visiting the library, she learned harp and managed to get King Elessar to teach her to ride a horse and manage a bow and sword. He noticed that she was skilled particularly in knife-work. At night times she sat with Arwen as she told Gilraen tales of the elves, and often was it that Aragorn watched them together and smiled. But still it seemed there was some strange sad darkness which haunted her.  
  
TWO YEARS LATER "Step! One, two, jab! No move left!" Aragorn called watching from the balcony where Gilraen was learning knife-craft with her teacher. "Duck!" he cried.  
  
"Ouch!" yelled Gilraen who had been too slow to miss her master's blow, Had been hit by the hilt of a knife below her jawline. She threw down her weapons and straightened her tunic before turning to where Aragorn was watching from. "I bet you thought you were helping." She stormed in his direction, a look of wild temper in her eyes.  
  
Elessar laughed. "Easy my dear, It did you no harm, let me see." He lifted her chin and patted it. "No bleeding, you are fine."  
  
Gilraen rolled her eyes before smirking. "Im only kidding, I had quite a good run today, although im just as good as Captain Mallohney down there." She waved at the soldier who was clearing up. "You either need to find me someone better or let me join the army."  
  
Aragorn looked at the spirited young woman with a vacant expression. "Im joking" she said once again. "Id be hopeless, I am ordinary with a bow, hopeless with a sword, I can ride a little and my only strength is with daggers and knives at close combat. Im about as useful as a silk ribbon around a cat's neck." Aragorn smiled.  
  
Bad place to leave it, but it lays the foundations for the next Chapter, please R&R! 


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